Miantae Metcalf McConnell

A descendant of early Montana homesteaders, Miantae Metcalf McConnell’s curiosity was piqued when she discovered tales of a lone black woman, a freighter whose reputation had reached beyond the grave. She believed that the true-life story of Mary Fields’ life would prove to be complex and extraordinary, given the 19th-century mix of frontier inhabitants who held unyielding, and often hostile, points of view. She began a ten-year search for answers. Combining inherent knowledge of regional history with research finds (official and personal documents, diaries and letters) Miantae composed a comprehensive narrative of Montana’s pioneers of diverse ethnic origins, treasure seekers, and native Americans. This chronicle is the most accurate and intimate biography of Mary Fields’s frontier life and legacy. Midwest Book Review states, “Deliverance Mary Fields will delight readers who look for a blend of accurate historical facts, hard-hitting drama, and realistic scenes powered by a feisty protagonist whose values and concerns become part of the social changes sweeping the nation.” If you would like to learn more about Mary Fields and Montana pioneer residents from Deliverance Mary Fields, 1885 to 1914, visit www.miantaemetcalfmcconnell.com or www.huzzahpublishing.com where you can: check the calendar for author presentations and book signings, sign up for discounts and news and learn about upcoming book releases. +++++++++++ Miantae lives near the Rocky Mountains in Montana’s big sky country. Her Montana pioneer ancestors include the Metcalf and Dowling families, both of whom held long-term political careers in Montanan nineteenth and twentieth-century politics. During research for Deliverance Mary Fields, McConnell discovered documentation that enabled USPS to verify Mary Fields as the first African American woman star route mail carrier in the United States. She also located the voter registration ledger that includes Mary Fields’s registration, and thus, establishes her as the first person of color to register for the vote in Cascade, Montana. See the Amazon page for Deliverance Mary Fields by Miantae Metcalf McConnell to read the book description: how the story begins in 1885.